Di Canio: We can't rely on anyone else

Di Canio, 44, was handed a significant boost in the battle to stay up when Wigan, in the final relegation spot, were beaten 3-2 at home to Swansea on Tuesday night.

However, the Italian was ultimately left frustrated by how discussion in the Sunderland camp centred on the performance of others in the wake of the result, and has underlined the need to focus on getting a result against Southampton on Sunday.

"I was already angry yesterday because I didn't like what was going on," he told the Sunderland Echo. "In the future, we have to make sure we change the mentality – not just the players and staff, but the physios, the refectory staff, the directors – everybody has to change the mentality. Because if we are going to delegate to the others to decide our destiny, we are going to remain an average team, albeit with great potential. I don't like that.

"If the players go to have a massage and talk about the Wigan result being fantastic, that maybe we can stay up with no more points, then we are never going to be something important here. Yesterday, I didn't enjoy it because too many people were talking about Wigan.

"So I made it clear to them. I told them we have to win our game. We have to go out there – us – and win our game. It is still about us, not Wigan or any other team. It is no point in us relying on anyone else. We have Southampton this weekend and we have to go out there and win our game. That has to be the message to the players. It has to be."